Welcome to The House of Lament a short horror adventure about the house of a family, the Halvhrests, who mysteriously disappeared.

Misira

It has been quiet night sleeping in the shack that you have decided to dwell in just outside of town. You did not fit in with your family too well, and your features make you noticeable compared to most strangers. So hiding in shack has proven to be of value to your privacy whilst you get a hold of your new abilities. As far as you've been aware, no one knows that you have been living here. That only makes it stranger when you find a note left in your shack that wasn't there before you went to sleep.

You open the note to see that is starts with the following line: 

“Prove yourself,”

The rest of the note gives you clear instructions about where to go to.

Halyassa 

You've been hiding under a different identity since you were found out to have sold information that you should not have. That false identity is the only thing that has kept you from being locked up, and has allowed you to continue visit certain establishments, even if they are not the most reputable. So, it is surprising to find a message left for you whilst you were occupied. It alluded to your true life and your true past as well as containing vague instructions on where to go.

The message ends with the words:

"It's time reclaim what was once yours."

Bigan

Your mother believe that you destined for something special ever since you were young. However, fate turned out to be far crueler to you than she had hoped. Yet, your mother never failed to have hope and believe in you. It is only the knowledge of her love for you that has kept you strong, and continue your own beliefs. Nevertheless, living in exile is not easy and it keeps you distanced from most. Still, you had ways of making money and you are able to keep a roof over your head most nights by stopping at inns across the land. You had not been in town long when you woke up one night to a letter left to you next on the bed.

The letter continues instructions on where to go with the words:

"They will need your guidance."

Wrenn

You grew up living on the streets. Although a man of your persuasion has always felt comfortable sleeping in a tree. One night you are rudely woken up when a bit of parchment fell on your head. Opening the bit of parchment you see a hand written message telling you that it was important to let go of the past, and that you was only doing what you had to survive. It also suggests that by following the instructions given to you, you would finally find the peace of mind that you have been missing these long years.

It concludes with the words:

"There is more to this world than you are aware of."

Lyreth

You have known battle in your past, which you have barely survived. It only thanks to the fey that you did. In more recent times you have lived a quieter life in the city with your uncle. It was a simple life, but you are happy. One morning you wake up to see that someone has left a message for you. At first you think that it might have been your uncle, but it does not look his writing.

It simply you instructions, but starts with the words:

"They will need your protection."

Everyone

The instructions left to you are mysterious, you don't know who they are from, or why they were given to you. You're not even sure why you decide to follow the instructions. However, the message must have been given to you for a reason, and it seems that person who wrote the instructions is familiar with you. It is for this reason why you find the whole situation intriguing.

Following the directions, it doesn’t take long before they lead you from familiar roads onto a disused trail overgrown by weeds and the roots of spindly trees. A light drizzle begins to fall as you travel. As you approach a wooded crossroads, the leaden rain makes the cloaked form standing there seem all the more unreal.

The figure’s head snaps up, glaring with piercing, yellow eyes. What you took for a cloak spreads around it, revealing itself to be a pair of mighty black wings. With one powerful motion and a blast of chill air, the wings sweep and the vague figure is gone.

You head towards the crossroads following the path that you are on. You see four more paths converging with yours, and on each path is someone else travelling to centre of this crossroads just like you.

(Take a moment to introduce yourselves to each other.)

"Well this is being unnerving," Lyreth murmurs while fingering her warhammer.

Her armor rustles as she raises her hand in greeting, "Hello the path! I am Lyreth of the Green, do you come in peace and confusion like meself?"

Misira tries to shake the rain off as she is completely soaked through her gray cloak.  You can see under her hood the blue shining off her skin even through this rain.  She leans on her staff while surveying the situation.  She isn’t sure the ones that are joining her at these crossroads won’t also flit away.

”Good evening, I am Misira.  I come in peace and am definitely as confused.  Did the rest of you notice that being fly away?  Do you think it was waiting for us and now is going to alert someone of our arrival?”

From one of the paths, one would see a dim bright light from the distance grow brighter as the paths would converge.  The bright light looked to be coming from the shining great axe that was hefted upon the shoulder of the figure carrying it.  The figure's hair long and grey, almost as silver as starlight from the shine of the light and the drizzle of rain.  The face was covered by a mask, a line going horizontally across the cheeks and bridge of the nose, the top being cyan and the bottom white with a songbird outstretched over the right brow, the eyes of the figure on inspection was a dazzling purple, a crystal amulet dangled from around the neck.  It wore a cyan tunic, it body looked fairly muscular and tone with light skin.  Wrapped around the waist looked to be vestments of cyan and white, with a visible harp symbol upon the side which draped down to it shins, almost covering the legs.  Upon it's broad back was a bulky backpack, with axes and javelins littering the surrounding area of the pack.  The figure stood about fifteen feet, standing proud and strong, eyeing those from the other paths. As the figure spoke, the voice was loud and bombastic;  

"Well met!  I am Bigan Mulo, would you all happen to know the direction of where I am supposed to be headed?"   Bigan would give the directions instructed from the letter received. 

The three foot tall gnome opens his green eyes frustrated he was snoring peacefully his auburn hair against the huge pillow that once belonged to a duchess.  When the parchment hits him Wrenn looks around wondering "What in the Nine hells? I hate litterbugs!" 

His fair face with a scant scraggly red beard turns ashen white reading the discarded paper. Realizing it wasn't discarded and meant for him. He dawns his gear then following the trail his eyes grown wide seeing the cloaked figure.

Then the big ones that seem to be gathering for some reason he hides watches and listens.

You see a dark haired tiefling in a brown nondescript cloak with a black, simple shield slung over her back and sword at her side initially do a double take when she hears voices.  She walks forward to the intersection casually, or in the manner of someone attempting to walk casually.  She says in a silky voice, "Hi there.  My name is Sharone.  How are you all, isn't this odd?  What brings you here this fine evening?  I seem to have lost my way."  She looks at each of you, appraising you.  You feel her eyes looking each of you up and down, assessing, contemplating.  

Wrenn walks into the middle of the group his cloak covering head to toe, and simply says "Wrenn. Anyonehere see a batman? I was going to ask it who are you but it took off."

"I thought I saw something, but then I felt like my mind was playing a trick on me.  It's good to hear that I'm not the only one who saw it.  It gave me a chill!"  She gathers her cloak around her to ward off the chill and damp, takes a quick glance around for any movement that isn't coming from those walking to the intersection.  

Perception :  18 

Bigan would laugh, using his offhand to move his mask to the side to reveal is fairly human face, aside from the somewhat glowing purple eyes.   "A batman you say, little one?  I could have sworn that was a birdman!  But in truth, Sharone, I have lost my way too and I really do not like that.  Anyone else know the way?!"  He calls out loudly, also pondering if his conscience seems to know anything or any advice.

Wrenn steps away from Bigan and moves towards and behind Sharone looking for an animal to talk with to see what they know.

10perception

ooc: Whatever

"Interesting that we all converge here at the same time and none of us really knowing why.  Did you all get a letter?  That seemed to come out of thin air?"  Misira starts feeling agitated and pulls her hood down so she can see her surroundings better.  You see the gleam of her sapphire colored scales on the dragonborn's head.  She tries to get a good look around in this rain.

Perception: 10

"Yes, I was getting a letter as well. No clue who was writing it." 

Lyreth blows a sodden lock of brown hair out of  her face.

As you stand there you feel the air begin to grow colder, and as it does so the drizzle beings to grow into a rainstorm. You look around and you see that haze has begun to obscure the paths that you have just travelled, cutting you off.

You also investigate the spot where the figure had previously stood to find a collection of large black feathers. Five to be precise. Five large black feathers, one for each of you. In the middle of the pile of feathers is a planchette decorated with bird skulls.

Wrenn's curiosity gets the better of him mainly cause the storm hasn't blown the feathers away he picks one up to examine it.

"What is this?" Misira picks up a black feather from where the bat/birdman last stood.  "And look, there is one for each of us", and she passes each of you a feather.  Once she is done, she looks down and sees something she is unfamiliar with, "Um, does anyone know what this is?" She points to it, a bit afraid to touch it, "Those look like bird skulls on it."

Looking down, Bigan would flash the biggest smile.   "A-ha!  Blackened feathers and bird skulls, I absolutely KNEW that was a birdman!" He boasts, squatting down to heavy-handedly pick up the strange object and starts to peer through the center, eyeing everyone very curiously.  "How interesting... this does seem rather important.  Maybe the bird-creature dropped it.  I'll hold onto it for now and return it when we see it again."  He grins, flipping the object in the air and catching it, stashing it away in his pouch and shifting his mask back on.  "We must find shelter quickly, I do not wish to catch a cold in this!"  He'd scan around for another path not taken by anyone.

Misira wonders.. "Bigan, when you looked through that towards this haze that is surrounding us, did you see anything?  It feels like this haze is closing in and I don't see anywhere to go at the moment." 

"Maybe magic? Cananyonetell?"

The haze grows thickness and density as it seems to move up along the paths behind you. Eventually, it grows into a thick mist before it turns into a thick fog. The fog surrounds you all cutting you off from the world outside.